Atlas Bowed
by Almandine-Azaleea
Summary: Once upon a time there was a boy. A boy who thought he had to carry the world on his shoulders. InuyashaXKagome.


**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Inuyasha, or any of the characters in the following story-and naturally, not the Greek folklore referred to.

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**Atlas Bowed  
**

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Once upon a time there was a boy; a boy who thought he had to bear the whole world on his shoulders. He was strong, proud and unflinching-often reminding her of Atlas himself. Sometimes though, she would see him waver and his whole body would give in against the heavy burden. Then he would be brought to his knees-heart in pieces-even as his body screamed at her to touch him. 

At those times she would wrap her arms around him tightly, letting his tremors sink into her body, and always she would tell him a story:

"Once upon a time" she would start, her voice soft and comforting "there was a boy who thought he had to carry the whole world on his shoulder. 'It is my fate-he would say-my duty to bear it all alone'; but sometimes it would become to heavy for it, and he would almost get crushed."  
At this point she would stop and kiss his shoulder. "The boy had been lied to, though..." her voice would tremble "...he had been told he was not worth a companion, not allowed to have someone to share the burden with...that he was beneath everyone...worth nothing."  
A small kiss would be pressed to the side of his throat "But it had all been a lie. He had been told that it was his punishment for being a monster, for being less..."  
Here, she would press a kiss to his cheek. "...when in reality he was so much more than anyone: a would-be demi-god amongst mortals. Like Hephaestus, his talents would be overlooked for his appearance; like Hercules he was given tasks mortals thought to be impossible- always he wold suffer through them and always Nike would grant him victory- but even that was never enough."  
Here, she would scatter a kiss onto his soft hair, making her way to his ear, and always he would shiver at her touches. "It was never enough for those that despised him. They would see him torn apart before they would be happy; and they would be happy for him to believe all their lies, their cruel taunts, their mindless insults...But he wasn't alone. "Her hand would untangle from across his chest and reach out to his fallen one tightening around it, drawing it to her lips gently. "There were were others who would share his burden-though he sometimes believed what was said and wouldn't let them, they would still try. Let the world say he was a monster, like Psyche, the girl knew he was more than words could express. She had also learned that the beast the world thought him to be was naught more than what the world expected-what they chose to perceive. They could never see the wonderful man she saw-never seeing love itself in its truest form. And Psyche smiled, as did the girl, because they both knew they had the best luck out of anyone else and they would always be happy with what the fates had dealt them. The boy was worth every trial for her...every single one, and more."

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Here she would stop and they would sit in silence moments, hours...both lost to the flow of time; then, suddenly, his mask would fall completely away as he reached out, pulling her closer, lacing strong arms about her.  
The first time they had both been afraid: he, afraid he had overstepped his boundaries, and she, afraid he would think so. His heart had trembled so hard they both had felt it, and she had tried her hardest not to cry, knowing she would cause him even more pain. The tears had fallen anyway, despite her best efforts, because he needed someone to cry for him-needed to know _she_ would do that- because they both knew he couldn't. 

He had looked at her with tortured eyes, silently asking for her forgiveness, for hurting her, for making her cry.  
In moments like these she could always see how much this precious boy was burdened with. She would tell him-in every way she could- that he was not at fault, and that his scars were not a thing to be ashamed of:"They speak of what hurt you, what almost killed you, but you overcame anyway. They are a testament to your strength."  
Another look would tell her how much he wanted to believe her, and how he couldn't. She understood. A part of him had died on that tree, fifty years before-hand, she knew she would never bring it back...that wound would never heal completely despite her best efforts, but she held him tighter nonetheless. Her arms wound about him, tangling themselves in his hair, gently touching his ears. He melted into her, as much as he would allow himself to, because in the end he couldn't help believing he was a monster to be left alone-unworthy, dishonourable, disgraced.  
In response, her lips traced words of truth about his worthiness, strength, honour, kindness and beauty and scattered them into his haori, brushed them across his face, shared them unto his mouth and sang them into his heart.

"I will stay by your side"

And with that, the boy took his burden up again, knowing that the world of pain was his to bear, but that sometimes, for a small while, he could set that burden aside and carry the girl instead. He would allow her to hold him up when his strength failed him, and for the shortest moment in time he would allow himself to be happy. And with a small smile Atlas took up the sky again.

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End file.
